Portable propelling device



v w. c. WILLIAMS. PORTABLE PROPELLING DEVICE.

APPLICATION FILED MAY 25; 19l8 Patented May 31,1921.

WITNESSES IN VEN TOR UNITED STATES.

PATENT OFFICE.

WILLIAM COVING'ION WILLIAMS, 0]? NEW ORLEANS, LOUISIANA.

PORTABLE rnoriinmn'e DEVICE.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, WILLIAM Covmc'ron WILLIAMs, a citizen of the United States, residing at New Orleans, in the parish of Orleans, State of Louisiana, have invented certain new and. useful Improvements in Portable Propelling Devices, of which the following is ,a specification.

This invention relates to the subject of marine propulsion and has particular ref erence to a novel improvement in manually operated motor devices for propelling small boats and the, like.

One of the objects of the invention is provide a device which may be constructed of readily available materials, such for instance as sections of pipe which are capable of being readily fitted together to formthe desired frame work of the device, while at the same time providing a thoroughly practical, reliable, and substantial construction.

Another object of the invention is to provide a propelling "device which may be ad justably fitted to the stern of a boat in such a manner that the depth at which the prooeller 0 )erates ma be re ulated within 1 l is certain reasonable. limits, whereby the device may be successfully used on light draft boats designed and intended to operate in shallow waters.

A further object of the invention is to provide a novel mounting for the propeller unit of the device which receives its power from a substantially perpendicular shaft carrying a fly wheel directly thereon, which materially improves the easewith which the propeller unit may be operated. That is to say, it is proposed to provide a construction which permits of delivering a maximum amount of power and speed to the propeller unit with a minimum expenditure of driving effort, thereby increasing the ease with which the boat may be propelled.

With the above and other obj ectsin View which will more readily appear as'the nature of the invention is better-understood,

the same consists in the novel construction, combination and arrangement of parts hereinafter more fully described, illustrated and claimed; I

A practical embodiment of the invention is shown in the accompanying drawings, in which:- I

F igure 1 is a side elevation ofmy entire device fitted to the stern of'a boat.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented May 31, 1921.

Application filed May 25, 1918. Serial No. 236,662.

Referring to the accompanying drawings which illustrate a practical embodiment of the invention it will be observed that the device essentially comprises an attaching bracket for affixing the same to the stern of a boat, a driving unit adapted to be manually actuated by an occupant of the boat, and'a propeller unit which is adapted to be manipulated also by an occupant of the boat to steer the same, and the said propeller unit having operative connections with the driving unit.

Referring now to the particular structural elements which carry the foregoing combination of units and combination of parts into effecuit may be observed from Fig. 1, that the driving unit includes in its organization a horizontal shaft X which extends through hollow iron casing or pipe which projects over the seat at the rear or stern of the boat. The said shaft X carries the relatively large bevel gear A. at its rear end and the pinion B at its forward end which engages with the manually actuated bevel gear E of the driving unit.

- The rear end of the pipe or casing which houses the main driving shaft X is supported by a clamp or bracket J for attaching the device to the stern of the boat, and connected therewith by means of a rela tively stiii' swing'joint K. By reason of the type of bracket disclosed it will be apparent tliatthe same may be fitted in any desired positionto the stern of the boat to give the desired working depth for the pro peller unit, and furthermore the relatively stiff swing joint K conveniently provides for z tdjusting the driving instrumentalities for the propeller unit in a perpendicular position.

The relatively large bevel gear A carried by the rear end of the main driving shaft X of the driving unit meshes with the bevel pinion C carried by the relatively perpenclosed as shown, and terminates at F, a

small bevel pinion working into a lar er bevel gear G at end of propeller shaft At upper end of perpendicular shaft D is fiy wheel I.

The horizontal shaft X and perpendicular shaft D both work on ball bearings at ends, as do also propeller shaft H and the shaft of bevel gear E. All ball bearings are indicated by letter L.

M is coupling 011 perpendicular shaft for convenience in detaching lower end when necessary.

In Fig. 3 N, N are arms of the steering attachment. 0, is attached to these arms extending out, up and across stern of boat, as shown by R in Fig. 2.

In Fig. 2 the joint Q is swinging but stiff and by moving steering arm R the propeller is moved in either direction, as per dotted lines, and steers boat.

The machine is operated either by crank, as shown in Figs. 1 and 2, or by levers, as shown in Fig. l. In the latter case the two levers S are pivotally attached as at S to the support T shown in full lines in Fig. 4 and indicated by dotted lines T on Fig. l and in the former case the axle of bevel gear E supplied with short crank arms, etc. as shown.

Fig. 2 shows attachment for swinging propeller and down view of arm P extending over seat of boat.

The arm P is detachable at joint U for purpose of packing and the whole device can then be packed into a valise like box and carried with ease.

The object of the device is to attach to stern of any light skiff and to propel it as follows The operator sitting in stern of boat with arm of motor under his arm, turns crank or works levers as case may be. This revolves large bevel gear E on pinion B, multiplying speed at bevel gear A, which in turn works upon pinion C, on perpendicular shaft D, at bottom and of which pinion F works into larger bevel gear G.

From the foregoing it will be apparent that the present device provides a simple means for propelling small light boats, and by reason of its relatively light and portable nature may be conveniently utilized where it is difficult to obtain other means of mechanical propulsion.

Briefly summarizing the invention it will be observed that the same essentially comprises an attaching bracket adapted to be secured to the stern of the boat and having a transverse pivot K formed by a four way pipe fitting (Fig. 2) and through which the driving shaft X extends. This fitting K is connected with another four way fitting K whose members K receive the base portion of a relatively U-shaped frame consisting of the vertical part K and arms K having at their outer ends the T-fittings K These T-fittings K constitute guides and bearings for drive shaft D which carries the propeller I at one end thereof and the pinion F at the other. The lower T-fitting K cooperates with the relatively short tubular element K which constitutes a part of the swiveled joint Q, that also includes the four way fitting K the portions K of which connect with the steering arms N--N through suitable intermediate fittings K. The lower part of the fitting K carries the tubular element K which in turn supports an angular propeller supporting bracket K having the T-fitting K at its lower end for receiving the propeller shaft H which carries the propeller and the gear wheel G that meshes with the pinion F on the end of the drive shaft D. By reason of the relatively swiveled connection of the fitting K with the part K which constitute the joint Q it will be apparent that the propeller supporting bracket K may be shifted through an arc of a circle whose axis is coincident with the drive shaft. Thus, the propeller may be shifted independently of whether the drive shaft D is in operation or not when the steering arm R is moved by the occupant of the boat.

Without further description it is thought that the features and advantages of the invention will be readily understood, and it will of course be understood that changes in the form, proportion and minor details of construction may be resorted to without departing from the spirit of theinvention or scope of the appended claims.

I claim:

1. A portable propelling device of the class described, including an attaching bracket, a substantially U-shaped frame having its intermediate portion pivotally attached to said bracket, a propeller support ing bracket including relatively horizontal and vertical tubular portions, said vertical portion being attached to one end of the U-shaped frame, a fly-wheel carrying shaft journaled in the outer ends of the arms of the U-shaped frame and extending through the vertical portion of the propeller support ing bracket, and a propeller carrying shaft journaled in the horizontal tubular portion of the propeller supporting bracket and operatively connected with the fly-wheel carrying shaft.

2. A portable propelling device of the class described including an attaching bracket, a substantially U-shaped frame having its intermediate portion pivotally secured to said bracket, a propeller unit including journal portions disposed at right angles to each other, one of said journal portions having a swiveled connection with one of the arms of the U-shaped frame, a flywheel carrying shaft journaled in the outer ends of the arms of the U-shapedframe and also in the journal member of the propeller unit, and a propeller carrying shaft mounted in the other journal portion of the propeller unit and having an operative engagement with the flywheel carrying shaft. r

3. A portable propelling device of the class described including an attaching bracket a substantially U-shaped frame secured at its intermediate portion to said bracket, a dirigible propeller unit carried by the lower end of the U-shaped frame, said dirigible propeller unit including a bracket having; portion sWiveled to the lower end of the U-shaped frame and also having a propeller bracket which connects With said frame, and a propeller carrying shaft carried by the portion of the propeller bracket at right angles to the said portion thereof which connects With the frame and operatively connected With the fly-Wheel carrying shaft.

WILLIAM COVINGTON WILLIAMS. Witnesses FRANK PooLn JOHNSON, JAMES LEGENDRE. 

